Safe Again
by Music-Addict12
Summary: Kaoru has had heart-stopping nightmares since she was a child. And now, there's someone who's finally willing to live life with her and help her through the roughest of nights. Rated T but has mention of violence.


Hey! Glad you've taken the time to look at Safe Again! I have to mention that this is a short thing I thought up. It's really short but I like going in and making the words come alive.

Hope you like it!

~Music-Addict12

Kaoru and Kenshin are not my creations...

Although I can always wish... (takes look at Kenshin)

Kenshin: O-oro...?

**Safe Again**

The vision filled her sight and reality fell away like a thin shell that was barely holding her weak sanity. The thick scent of blood, the heart-stopping screams, and the paralyzing sight of lifeless bodies covered the house she had once called home. Dreadful shock and strife assaulted her and she succumbed to the urge to close her eyes in defeat but the actions did not relieve her on the uncontrollable emotions riddling her body. The scene grew around her, recreating in agonizing detail of the incident that was forever seared into her eyes from fifteen years ago. Every detail was crystal clear, down to every minuscule chink in the blood soaked katana. There was nothing she could do. Watching the massacre repeated again in front of her eyes, she was forced to watch every last swing that mad murderer made.

But what of her? He had left her alive, not even a splotch of blood on her while all those around her were slaughtered. Like the first time she made the mistake to look, the visualization forced her to gaze up into the manslayer's face. One of twisted joy, pleasure, and madness. Hysterical laughing rang in her hypersensitive ears and even if she had the capability to clap her hands over her ears, the howling would continue to resound in her head even when the source of the sound had long been silenced. Even if she could close her eyes to the starkly clear face of the demented man filling her sight, the expression would still burn under the lids of her eyes. There was nothing she could do to end it. She couldn't sooth her broken heart; she could only continue to stare up at the terrible demon.

But suddenly, the fringes of the hallucination frayed, blurring the picture. And even the monster's crowing was somehow indistinct, covered over by a distantly familiar shushing. Finally, everything faded out and the delicate covering of actuality was being put back together by tender hands. And so the shattered heart was calmed when feeling returned to her body and she sensed the warm arms enfolding her to the compassionate being she had recently known as Kenshin. Then she was finally coherent enough to understand the words he was saying.

"Shh, everything's alright, Koishii. You're okay. You're right here with me. Nothing like that is ever going to happen to you. Jineh's dead, remember, Kaoru? He will never come to destroy your world again. I won't ever let anyone repeat the deed. I'm right here with you, that I am." He reminded her, wrapping his arms tighter around her and using his warmth to bring her cold arms back to life.

Everything was back in place again. She could see the shouji of the dojo that she lived in with Kenshin. She could hear the sounds of snoring in the other room and soft sounds of the breeze coming in. But the only thing that lingered from the nightmare was the reek of the blood. Burying her face in the front of his yukata, she breathed in his smell. The coppery tang of blood was quickly chased away by the tantalizing ginger scent that was now saturated in the air around her.

At peace, she gazed up into the violet eyes. Although she had mentally calmed her mind, her heart still kicked up when she saw the amber bleeding into the violet of his eyes. The color had once represented the resurfacing personality of the feared manslayer. However, it now held a completely different meaning in her eyes. These were the eyes that watched behind the cover of violet, guarding her from the haunting that used to possess her. Reaching up with both hands, she cupped the face that gleamed both of intense love and comforting protectiveness. With the touch of her hands, the hard edge of the amber disappeared and melted to molten honey. Her breath hitching almost painfully, she could feel her chest constrict under the gaze.

Instantly noting her distress, Kenshin pulled her closer to him and offered her whatever comfort he could give. Wrapped in the warmth of his body, her body relaxed and she rested her chin on his shoulder. She couldn't do anything to help herself, but he could. Pulling away from the warmth, she tugged at his yukata so that they both rolled over with Kenshin propped on top of her.

"Heal me," she whispered to him, knowing that he would get the meaning behind her words. With a solemn look of understanding, he brought his mouth down to meet hers in a kiss.

She knew she was safe again.


End file.
